Urinal Integrated Lid System

ABSTRACT

A urinal integrated lid system is provided comprising a toilet seat, a lower lid and an upper lid, wherein one or more hinges couple the toilet seat, the lower lid and the upper lid together. The system further comprises a first coupling mechanism securing the lower lid to the upper lid and a second coupling mechanism secures the upper lid to a toilet water tank, wherein, after the second coupling mechanism secures the upper lid to the toilet water tank, a separation force separates the lower lid from the upper lid. After separation of the lower lid from the upper lid, the lower lid rotates via the one or more hinges through an angle range of 0 degrees to 75 degrees with respect to the upper lid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, bathrooms in office buildings or other public facilitiesutilize urinal toilets for male users equipped independently fromconventional toilets to create a more user-friendly experience for maleusers as well as a hygienic environment by preventing urine spillagefrom reaching the floor and/or the user's clothing. Bathrooms inresidential housing, apartments and condominiums do not utilize suchurinal toilets due to cost and space constraints within the residence aswell as unsightly aesthetic issues. Additionally, when male usersurinate into a conventional toilet while in a standing upright posture,urine is often conveyed around the toilet bowl, toilet seat, toilet lid,the gap between the lid and the water tank, the floor, the walls and theuser's clothing. Such circumstances can lead to unsanitary, offensiveand even embarrassing situations for the user.

It would be advantageous to provide a convertible urinal lid for aconventional toilet bowl to improve the hygiene-related properties ofthe toilet bowl, toilet seat, and toilet lid. Further, it would beadvantageous to provide a robust mechanism for standing-postureurination that does not suffer from any of the problems or deficienciesassociated with standing urination into a water closet or into prioradd-on urinal inventions.

It would further be advantageous to provide a family friendly designthat is easily used and operated by users of all ages, allowing urinalfunctionality to be economically integrated into any western bathroom,thus soliciting greater acceptance and consumer appeal than priorresidential urinal devices have solicited.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a urinal integrated lid systemin an open configuration in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an overhead view of an expandable lid of a urinalintegrated lid system in an open configuration in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3A illustrates a side view of an expandable lid of a urinalintegrated lid system in a closed configuration in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3B illustrates a side view of an expandable lid of a urinalintegrated lid system in a raised configuration in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3C illustrates a side view of an expandable lid of a urinalintegrated lid system in an open configuration in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Before describing the present invention in detail, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to any one of theparticular embodiments, which of course may vary. It is also to beunderstood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescribing particular embodiments only, and therefore is not necessarilyintended to be limiting. As used in this specification and the appendedclaims, terms in the singular and the singular forms “a,” “an,” and“the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a “urinal integrated lidsystem” also includes a plurality of urinal integrated lid systems andthe like.

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter, withreference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings should beconsidered in conjunction with both this summary, the detaileddescription and the several embodiments specifically disclosed herein.This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms andshould not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein;rather, these embodiments are provided as examples only, to ensure thatthis disclosure is thorough, and complete, and will convey the fullscope of the current invention to those skilled in the art.

In some embodiments, a urinal integrated lid system is providedcomprising a toilet seat, a lower lid and an upper lid, wherein one ormore hinges couple the toilet seat, the lower lid and the upper lidtogether; a first coupling mechanism secures the lower lid to the upperlid, wherein the first coupling mechanism applies a first securing forcebetween the lower lid and the upper lid; and a second coupling mechanismsecures the upper lid to a toilet water tank, wherein the secondcoupling mechanism applies a second securing force between the upper lidand the toilet water tank, and wherein the second securing force isgreater than the first securing force, wherein, after the secondcoupling mechanism secures the upper lid to the toilet water tank, aseparation force greater than the first securing force but less than thesecond securing force applied to the lower lid separates the lower lidfrom the upper lid, and wherein, after separation of the lower lid fromthe upper lid, the lower lid rotates via the one or more hinges throughan angle range of 0 degrees to 75 degrees with respect to the upper lid.

In some embodiments, the second securing force is at least 1.5 timesgreater than the first securing force.

In some embodiments, the first coupling mechanism is one or more firstmagnets and the second coupling mechanism is one or more second magnets.

In some embodiments, the lower lid and the upper lid exist together ineither an open state or a closed state relative one another.

In some embodiments, when in the the closed state, the lower lid and theupper lid form a fluidically sealed cavity therebetween.

In some embodiments, the fluidically sealed cavity comprises a pluralityof fluid outlet apertures disposed within one or more peripheralsurfaces thereof.

In some embodiments, actuation of an actuator disposed on an exteriorsurface of the lower lid or the upper lid executes release of one ormore cleansing fluids within the fluidically sealed cavity.

In some embodiments, a top portion of the fluidically sealed cavityreleases the one or more cleansing fluids and a bottom portion of thefluidically sealed cavity drains the one or more cleansing fluids, andwherein the lower lid comprises a concave shape that slopes downwardsfrom the top portion to the bottom portion.

In some embodiments, when in the open state, the lower lid and the upperlid are separated by an angle of between 45 degrees and 75 degreesrelative one another.

In some embodiments, a plurality of foldable panels couple the lower lidto the upper lid, and wherein a fluid drain is disposed between theplurality of foldable panels.

In some embodiments, when the lower lid and the upper lid are in theclosed state, the plurality of foldable panels exist in a folded statewhere each of the plurality of foldable panels are stacked upon oneanother.

In some embodiments, when the lower lid and the upper lid are in theopen state, the plurality of foldable panels exist in an extended statewhere each of the plurality of foldable panels are arranged successivelyin a common plane.

In some embodiments, a urinal integrated lid system is providedcomprising a toilet seat, a lower lid and an upper lid, wherein one ormore hinges couple the toilet seat, the lower lid and the upper lidtogether; a first coupling mechanism secures the lower lid to the upperlid and a second coupling mechanism secures the upper lid to a toiletwater tank, wherein, after separation of the lower lid from the upperlid, the lower lid rotates via the one or more hinges through an anglerange of 0 degrees to 75 degrees with respect to the upper lid and anangle range of 15 degrees to 90 degrees relative the toilet seat; thelower lid and the upper lid exist together in either an open state or aclosed state relative one another, wherein, when in the the closedstate, the lower lid and the upper lid form a fluidically sealed cavitytherebetween, and wherein, when in the open state, the lower lid and theupper lid are separated by an angle of between 45 degrees and 75 degreesrelative one another; and the fluidically sealed cavity comprises aplurality of fluid outlet apertures disposed within one or moreperipheral surfaces thereof, wherein actuation of an actuator disposedon one or more exterior surfaces of the lower lid and the upper lidexecutes release of one or more cleansing fluids from the plurality offluid outlet apertures.

In some embodiments, a urinal integrated lid system is providedcomprising a toilet seat, a lower lid and an upper lid, wherein one ormore hinges couple the toilet seat, the lower lid and the upper lidtogether, wherein the lower lid comprises a concave up shape and asurface that slopes downwards from a top portion to a bottom portion,and wherein the upper lid comprises a concave down shape; a firstcoupling mechanism secures the lower lid to the upper lid and a secondcoupling mechanism secures the upper lid to a toilet water tank,wherein, after separation of the lower lid from the upper lid, the lowerlid rotates via the one or more hinges through an angle range of 0degrees to 75 degrees with respect to the upper lid and an angle rangeof 15 degrees to 90 degrees relative the toilet seat; the lower lid andthe upper lid exist together in either an open state or a closed staterelative one another, wherein, when in the the closed state, the lowerlid and the upper lid form a fluidically sealed cavity therebetween, andwherein, when in the open state, the lower lid and the upper lid areseparated by an angle of between 45 degrees and 75 degrees relative oneanother; and the fluidically sealed cavity comprises a plurality offluid outlet apertures disposed within one or more peripheral surfacesthereof, wherein actuation of an actuator disposed on an exteriorsurface of the lower lid or the upper lid executes release of one ormore cleansing fluids from the plurality of fluid outlet apertures,wherein the lower lid and the upper lid exist together in either araised state or a lowered state relative the toilet seat, and whereinthe fluidically sealed cavity releases the one or more cleansing fluidsfrom the plurality of fluid outlet apertures only when the lower lid andthe upper lid are together in the raised state.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in theaccompanying figures. As shown in FIG. 1, a perspective view of a urinalintegrated lid system 100 is provided. The urinal integrated lid system100 may comprise a seat 110, a lower lid 120 and an upper lid 130 whichmay each be coupled together at a first end via one or more hinges (notshown) or the like. The one or more hinges may be coupled to a body of atoilet.

The lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130 may further be coupled to oneanother at a second end via a first coupling mechanism 122. The lowerlid 120 and the upper lid 130 may be selectively secured to one anothervia the coupling mechanism 122 such that a user may iteratively removethe lower lid 120 from the upper lid 130 as desired. The couplingmechanism 122 may comprise one or more of a magnet, a releasable clasp,an actuator and the like.

Further, when the lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130 are raisedrelative the seat 110, the upper lid 130 may couple to an exteriorsurface of a water storage tank (not shown) of the toilet via a secondcoupling mechanism. The second coupling mechanism may be similar to orthe same as that of the first coupling mechanism 122 in both form andfunction. Specifically, the second coupling mechanism may comprise oneor more of a magnet, a releasable clasp, an actuator and the like.

A plurality of accordion-folded panels 124 may couple the lower lid 120to the upper lid 130 at the first end and may be manipulated from afolded state to an extended state when the user chooses to selectivelyremove the lower lid 120 from securement to the upper lid 130. Thepanels 124 may be folded along one or more fold lines allowing thepanels to move from the extended state to the folded state. Further, thepanels 124 may be coupled to each of the lower lid 120 and the upper lid130 at outer perimeter edges thereof and from there may taper towardsthe first end.

Additionally, the lower lid 120 and/or the upper lid 130 may comprise aplurality of fluid outlet apertures 132 disposed on an inner surface ofthe outer perimeter edges thereof. Specifically, the plurality of fluidoutlet apertures 132 may be utilized to expel one or more fluidstherefrom and thereby cleanse the surfaces of the lower lid 120 and/orthe upper lid 130 of urination expelled by the user. Further, theplurality of fluid outlet apertures 132 may expel the one or more fluidssuch that the plurality of accordion-folded panels 124 funnel andcollect the expelled fluids into one or more outlet drain apertures (notshown).

The number of the fluid outlet apertures 132 to be utilized on each ofthe lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130 may be on the range of between 1and 30, but preferably between 5 and 25 and more preferably between 10and 20. The diameter of each of the plurality of fluid outlet apertures132 may be between 1-8 centimeters, but preferably between 2-6centimeters, and more preferably between 3-4 centimeters.

Further, the plurality of fluid outlet apertures 132 may dispense theone or more fluids within a range of angles so as to properly cleansethe inner surfaces of the lower lid 120 and upper lid 130. Specifically,the range of angles may comprise a range between 45 degrees and 135degrees, but preferably a range between 60 degrees and 120 degrees andmore preferably a range between 75 degrees and 105 degrees. The specificangle that the plurality of fluid outlet apertures 132 dispense the oneor more fluids may depend directly upon the number of fluid outletapertures 132 utilized within the lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130.

It is preferred that the maximum amount of surface area of the innersurfaces of the lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130 receive fluidincident thereupon. Therefore, the greater the number of fluid outletapertures 132 that are utilized then the smaller the fluid dispensationangle required from each of the fluid outlet apertures 132. Similarly,the lesser the number of fluid outlet apertures 132 that are utilizedthen the larger the fluid dispensation angle required from each of thefluid outlet apertures 132.

Larger numbers of fluid outlet apertures 132 that are utilized requireadditional production costs and larger fluid dispensation angles areharder to fabricated and so similarly require additional productioncosts. Therefore, the angle range between 75 degrees and 105 degrees isadvantageous given it allows a reasonable amount of fluid outletapertures 132 to be utilized while providing a fluid dispensation anglethat is easily fabricated. Fluid dispensation angles substantially below45 degrees would not cover enough surface area of the inner surfaces ofthe lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130 to properly cleanse the urinalintegrated lid system 100 without requiring an unreasonable number offluid outlet apertures 132.

The fluid plumbing allowing the fluid to be dispensed from the fluidoutlet apertures 132 may be implemented in a manner so as to allow theinner surfaces of the lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130 to bemaximally cleansed. Specifically, the lower lid 120 and/or the upper lid130 may comprise one or more inner conduits disposed within thestructure thereof and fluidically coupled to a water supply source suchas, but not limited to, a water storage tank typically disposed at therear of the toilet or directly into the toilet water supply. A constantsupply of fluid pressure may be supplied to the inner conduits andcontrolled via an actuator valve.

A user may selectively release fluid from the fluid outlet apertures 132by actuating the actuator valve. Specifically, the user may actuate theactuator valve by linearly depressing the actuator valve or by angularlyrotating the actuator valve. Further, the extent to which the actuatorvalve is actuated may be directly proportional to the amount of fluidreleased from the fluid outlet apertures 132. For example, lineardepression or angular rotation of the actuator valve may cause fluidpassageways within the actuator valve to become fluidically aligned withthe inner conduit and thereby allow the constant fluid pressure withinthe inner conduit to be released into peripheral passageways of thelower lid 120 and/or the upper lid 130 and dispensed from the fluidoutlet apertures 132. Upon dispensation of the fluid from the fluidoutlet apertures 132, the fluid may drain via an outlet conduit eitherdirectly into a grey water outlet conduit or directly into the bowl ofthe toilet.

Further, fluid may only be released from the fluid outlet apertures 132when the lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130 are disposed together in aclosed configuration where the lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130 forma fluidically sealed chamber therebetween. Allowing fluid to be releasedfrom the fluid outlet apertures 132 while the lower lid 120 and theupper lid 130 are disposed apart in an open configuration may causecontaminated fluids such as urine to be projected out of the urinalintegrated lid system 100. Specifically, the fluidically sealed chambermay be formed via soft conformable materials disposed along theperiphery of the lower lid 120 and/or the upper lid 130. For instance,the soft conformable materials may include, but are not limited to,PTFE, Nitrile, Neoprene, EPDM Rubber, Fluorocarbon, silicone and thelike or any combination thereof. Further, the lower lid 120 and theupper lid 130 may be joined at the one or more hinges in a fluidicallysealed configuration utilizing the same soft conformable materials as atype of o-ring disposed along the joining edge at the one or morehinges. Moreover, the panels 124 may comprise one or more fluidapertures disposed therein where the panels 124 adjoin to the lower lid120 and the upper lid 130 at the one or more hinges in order to drainany fluid that collects outside of the panels 124 relative the locationof the drain (see FIG. 2) during a flushing process of the fluidicallysealed cavity.

Additionally, fluid may only be released from the fluid outlet apertures132 when the lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130 in the closedconfiguration are together disposed in an upright configuration roughlyorthogonal to a ground surface. Allowing fluid to be released from thefluid outlet apertures 132 when the lower lid 120 and the upper lid 130are together disposed in a seated configuration roughly parallel to aground surface may cause contaminated fluids such as urine to not fullydrain out of the fluidically sealed chamber.

Preferably, the inner surface of the lower lid 120 may have a concave upshape to facilitate drainage of contaminated fluid even if the lower lid120 and the upper lid 130 are disposed in the seated configuration.Further, the inner surface of the lower lid 120 may have a slantedsurface when in the seated configuration such that the surface slantsfrom the second end to the first end in order to facilitate drainagefrom the second end to the first end where the drain may be disposed.Additionally, the inner surface of the upper lid 130 may have a concavedown shape to minimize splashing of expelled urine thereupon.

The seat 110, the lower lid 120, the panels 124 and the upper lid 130may be made of any suitable material including, but not limited to, anytype of any type of plastic, any type of metal, any type of ceramic, anytype of porcelain, any type of rubber, any type of wood, any type offiber-glass, any type of carbon-fiber, any type of synthetic material,any type of organic material, any type of inorganic material, porcelain,high-impact plastic, plastic-coated composite wood, polymer material,structural metal (e.g., structural steel or structural aluminum),co-polymer material, thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers,resin-containing material, polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene,epoxy resins, phenolic resins, Acrylanitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS),Polycarbonate (PC), Mix of ABS and PC, Acetal (POM), Acetate, Acrylic(PMMA), Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP), Mylar, PolyamidNylon,Polyamid-Nylon 6, Polyamid-Nylon 11, Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT),Polycarbonate (PC), Polyetherimide (PEI), Polyethylene (PE), Low DensityPE (LDPE), High Density PE (HDPE), Ultra High Molecular Weight PE (UHMWPE), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), PolPolypropylene (PP),Polyphthalamide (PPA), Docket No. 2019JL-WETS Polyphenylenesulfide(PPS), Polystyrene (PS), High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), Polysulfone(PSU), Polyurethane (PU), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), ChlorinatedPolyvinyl chloride (CPVC), Polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF), StyreneAcrylonitrile (SAN), Teflon TFE, Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE),Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), and/or Engineered ThermoplasticPolyurethane (ETPU) or other similar materials and any combinationsthereof.

Any method may be used to construct the seat 110, the lower lid 120, thepanels 124 and the upper lid 130 including, but not limited to, hollowor solid fill, casting, injection molding, vacuum-forming,hydro-forming, welding, gluing, bonding, die-cut, extrusion, ABS plasticinjection molding, PP plastic injection molding, duraplast compressionmolding and the like or any combination thereof.

As shown in FIG. 2, an overhead view of an expandable lid 200 of theurinal integrated lid system 100 in an open configuration is provided.The expandable lid 200 may comprise a lower lid 210 and an upper lid 220coupled together via a coupling mechanism 212 and a plurality ofaccordion-folded panels 214. The lower lid 210 and the upper lid 220 maybe selectively secured to one another via the coupling mechanism 212such that a user may iteratively remove the lower lid 210 from the upperlid 220 as desired in order to manipulate the expandable lid 200 betweenopen and closed configurations. The coupling mechanism 212 may compriseone or more of a magnet, a releasable clasp, an actuator and the like.

Further, a plurality of fluid outlet apertures (not shown) may expel oneor more fluids such that the plurality of accordion-folded panels 214funnel and collect the expelled fluids into one or more outlet drainapertures 230. The plurality of fluid outlet apertures may expel the oneor more fluids while the expandable lid 200 is in either of the open orclosed configurations.

The one or more outlet drain apertures 230 may compose a funnelingstructure 232 disposed therearound in order to permit drainage of excessliquids including cleansing fluids and expelled urine. The funnelingstructure 232 is important to prevent potentially hazardous buildup ofexpelled urine after the user has utilized the expandable lid 200.Freshly expelled urine is considered largely sterile, but urine canbecome hazardous to the human body upon it beginning to dry.

Therefore, the funneling structure 232 may comprise a contoured shapethat tapers downward toward the outlet drain aperture 230 to preventexpelled cleansing fluid and/or user-expelled urine from splashing upand out of the confines of the lower lid 210, upper lid 220 andaccordion-folded panels 214. The funneling structure 232 may couple to afirst end of the lower lid 210, the upper lid 220 and theaccordion-folded panels 214 in order to create a liquid seal for theexpelled cleansing fluid and/or user-expelled urine.

Each of the lower lid 210 inner surface, the upper lid 220 innersurface, the accordion-folded panel 214 inner surfaces and the funnelingstructure 232 may comprise one or more hydrophobic coatings disposedthereupon in order to more efficiently allow expelled cleansing fluidand urine to pass through to the outlet drain aperture. Much like theshape of the funneling structure 232, the inner surfaces of the lowerlid 210 and the upper lid 220 may comprise a concave up surface shape ora concave down surface shape in order to minimize splashing of expelledcleansing fluid and urine up and out of the confines of the lower lid210, upper lid 220 and accordion-folded panels 214. Specifically, aconcave surface dampens the reflective splashing force of incidentliquids such as the expelled cleansing fluid and urine.

The outlet drain aperture 230 may be positioned in the urinal to allowthe user's urine and the cleansing fluid to drain directly into thegeneral grey water outflow pipe by bypassing the bowl via a conduitdisposed therebetween. The outlet drain aperture 230 may furthercomprise at least one hole sized to prevent loose debris from cloggingthe conduit. Additionally, the outlet drain aperture 230 may comprise adebris screen to prevent large particulate matter from clogging theconduit.

Any component of the expandable lid 200 may utilize one or more chemicalbeads. Preferably, the chemical beads may comprise waterless urinalbeads or chlorine beads to help prevent the occurrence of unpleasantodors. The diameter of each bead may range between 1 to 9 centimeters,and preferably the diameter of each bead is larger than the diameter ofthe holes such that the beads do not quickly fall through the holesthereby negating their effect.

As shown in FIG. 3A, a side view of an expandable lid 300 of the urinalintegrated lid system 100 in a closed configuration is provided. Theexpandable lid 300 comprises a seat 310, a lower lid 320 and an upperlid 330 each coupled to one another at a first end via a hinge 340. Thehinge 340 may comprise a plurality of individual hinges each coupled toone another in such a manner as to allow one or more rotational degreesof freedom therebetween.

Specifically, each of the plurality of individual hinges may be coupledto one of the seat 310, the lower lid 320 and the upper lid 330 to alloweach to rotate independently of one another. Such a configuration allowsfor rotation of the seat 310 relative the lower lid 320 and the upperlid 330 between a range of 0 degrees to 135 degrees, thereby allowing auser to lift the lower lid 320 and the upper lid 330 to gain access tothe interior of the toilet bowl.

Further, such a configuration allows for rotation of the lower lid 320relative the upper lid 330 between a range of 45 degrees to 75 degrees.This range of rotation between the lower lid 320 and the upper lid 330allows for an adequate opening to form therebetween which provides theability for a user to expel urine therein. Further, if the upper lid 330forms an angle of 90 degrees with the seat 310, then a maximum angle of75 degrees between the lower lid 320 and upper lid 330 will provide theuser with a maximal opening within which to expel urine but also willstill maintain the lower lid 320 at an inclined angle of 15 degreesrelative the seat which allows gravity to drain the expelled urine downtoward the outlet drain aperture 230 as shown in FIG. 2.

Angle ranges of greater than 135 degrees between the seat 310 and thelower and upper lids 320, 330 would likely not be possible given thetypical arrangement of the water tank and toilet bowl would blockgreater angle ranges. Additionally, angle ranges of less than 0 degreesbetween the seat 310 and the lower and upper lids 320, 330 would not bepossible given each of these structural elements are designed to restupon the toilet bowl.

Angle ranges of greater than 75 degrees between the lower lid 320 andthe upper lid 330 would result in expelled urine not efficiently flowingtoward the outlet aperture 230 as shown in FIG. 2 and may lead tocontamination of the toilet structure with spilled urine which, upondrying, can become hazardous to the human body. Further, angle ranges ofless than 45 degrees between the lower lid 320 and the upper lid 330would not allow for an adequate opening within which to expel urine andthereby may similarly lead to contamination of the toilet structure andsurrounding bathroom surfaces with spilled urine.

In the closed configuration, the seat 310, the lower lid 320 and theupper lid 330 may collectively form a fluid seal with the toilet bowl(not shown) upon which they rest. This fluid seal may allow for one ormore odor-prevention techniques to be utilized including, but notlimited to, ozone treatment, fluid evacuation of noxious odors and thelike.

As shown in FIG. 3B, a side view of an expandable lid 300 of the urinalintegrated lid system 100 in a raised configuration is provided. In theraised configuration, the lower lid 320 and the upper lid 330 remaincoupled together and therefore are arranged at a common angle relativethe seat 310, thereby allowing a user to utilize the seat 310 when theuser desired to sit down thereupon when using the toilet.

As shown in FIG. 3C, a side view of an expandable lid 300 of the urinalintegrated lid system 100 in an open configuration is provided. Afterbeing placed into the raised configuration of FIG. 3B, the upper lid 330may be secured to the water tank of the toilet (not shown) that istypically disposed behind the upper lid 330 when in the raisedconfiguration. Such securement may be executed utilizing one or moremagnets, hook and loop fasteners, clasping mechanisms and the likedisposed upon an outer surface of the upper lid 330.

Once the upper lid 330 is secured to the water tank, the user may applyforce to the lower lid 320 in order to remove its coupling from theupper lid 330. Specifically, the securing force of the upper lid 330 tothe water tank must be greater than the securing force of the upper lid330 to the lower lid 320 in order to allow the user the apply force todecouple the lower lid 320 from the upper lid 330. Preferably, thesecuring force of the upper lid 330 to the water tank may be at least1.5 times the securing force of the lower lid 320 to the upper lid 330.Such a proportion accounts for the user error in applying too much forceto the lower lid 320 and accidentally decoupling the upper lid 330 fromthe water tank as well.

The lower lid 320 may be coupled to the upper lid 330 by a plurality ofaccordion-folded panels 324. Specifically, the accordion-folded panels324 may comprise a plurality of sections that fold upon one another toallow the lower lid 320 to be secured to the upper lid 330 in both theopen and closed configurations as described in FIG. 2. While theaccordion-folded panels 324 are shown in FIG. 3C to be coupled to thelower lid 320 and the upper lid 330 at lower portions thereof, thepanels 324 may be coupled to the lids 320, 330 at any suitable portionthereof. Preferably, the panels 324 may be coupled to the lids 320, 330at an upper portion thereof and taper down towards the outlet drainaperture 230 of FIG. 2 in order to provide a larger confined area withinwhich to retain expelled urine and thereby minimize the amount ofspillage of expelled urine.

A urinal integrated lid combined with a toilet seat according to thepresent invention aims to solve the following problems. First, it ispossible to prevent the excessive use of water throughout each flush byflushing urine from the toilet without flushing the entire toilet andthereby reducing overall water consumption and water bills. Second, itaims to prevent infectious diseases caused by the scattering of urineand to enable sanitary control of urination collection systems. Third,the present invention is to prevent the scattering of urine and thenoise associated therewith. Fourth, the present invention allowsurination in both a standing state and a seated state. The solution tothe problem of the present invention is not limited to those mentionedabove, and other solutions not mentioned can be clearly understood bythose skilled in the art from the disclosed description.

An improved toilet lid includes features to offer a built-in foldableurinal integrated with a toilet lid system that can be installed ontoexisting toilets. The invention comprises a main body, a urinal, aninlet, and an outlet. The main body comprises a toilet seat. The urinalcomprises a lower urinal lid, a coupling, at least two or more foldableurinal side panels and an upper urinal lid. The inlet may attach to awaterline outside of the toilet or inside of the toilet to allowflushing of the urinal. The outlet may be positioned in the urinal toallow the user's urine and the flushing water to be drained through theoutlet.

The outlet may be positioned in the urinal to allow the user's urine andthe flushing water to be drained through the outlet to the drain of thetoilet by bypassing the bowl via a hose disposed therebetween.Preferably, the outlet is positioned on a urine base positioned at thebottom of the lower urine lid, the upper urine lid and the at least twoor more foldable urinal side panels. Alternatively, the inlet and outletmay be disposed at the rear of the upper lid and the lower lid. Theoutlet may comprise a plurality of small holes to prevent loose debrisfrom clogging the urinal. The outlet may further comprise a debrisscreen to prevent loose debris from clogging the urinal. The outlet maycomprise chemical beads on top of the plurality of holes.

The urinal integrated lid system may be used as a dry system and/or awet system. The urinal integrated lid system may have at least oneswitch or button. When the urinal integrated lid system is used as a wetsystem, at least one button or switch may be activated for the flushingaction to commence. The button may comprise a spring-actuated button toselectively allow flushing or liquid to pass therethrough based uponactuation of the button. Upon actuation of the button by pressing thespring-actuated button inward/downward into the upper lid, an inletbecomes aligned with an outlet, thus allowing cleansing water to flowtherethrough. Preferably, the inlet and outlet comprise a washer orbearing or sealing ring disposed therebetween to ensure there is noleaking while the button is actuated up and down.

The urinal integrated lid system may comprise at least one power sourceat least in part for powering a light source. The light source may bepositioned anywhere on the lid system to provide night lighting andlighting patterns to help aim or entertain the user. Preferably, thelight source may include LEDs to provide energy efficient lighting andlow profile/compact lighting to increase the space efficiency of the lidsystem. The power source may include batteries, solar cells,thermoelectric generators and the like.

In some embodiments, the toilet seat may have any suitable dimensionsand various designs (elongated, round, oval-shaped, C-shaped, standardshape etc.). Elongated toilets tend to be more comfortable for adultsand easier to get off of for those with mobility issues, but they takeup more room and are a bit restricting in a small bathroom. Roundtoilets are better for smaller people and could be an ideal solution fora child's bathroom. They are less powerful on average than elongatedmodels, but are more cost-effective.

In some embodiments, the outlet may be positioned in the urinal to allowthe user's urine and the flushing water to be drained through the outletto the drain of the toilet by bypassing the bowl via a hose disposedtherebetween. Preferably, the outlet is positioned on a urine basepositioned at the bottom of the lower urine lid, the upper urine lid andthe at least two or more foldable urinal side panels. Alternatively, theinlet and the outlet may be disposed at the rear of the upper lid andthe lower lid.

The number of holes in the outlet and/or in the lids may range between1-10,000. The diameter of each hole may range between 1micrometer/millimeter to 5 centimeter. Preferably, the chemical beadsmay comprise waterless urinal beads or chlorine beads to help preventthe occurrence of unpleasant odors. The diameter of each bead may rangebetween 1 micrometer/millimeter to 5 centimeter, preferably the diameterof each bead is larger than the diameter of the holes such that thebeads do not quickly fall through the holes being ineffective. Morepreferably, the chemical beads may be held in place by a mesh grill orthe like either at the outlets or at the actuator valve so as todispense the chemical to all outlets.

The outlet comprising at least one hole may be positioned in the urinalbase. If the outlet comprises a plurality of holes, it may beadvantageous to position the holes in a particular pattern to optimizefluid flow while preventing large debris to pass and potentially clogthe urinal. The outlet comprising at least one hole may incorporates oneor more shapes including a circle, triangle, square, and the like. Theat least one hole may incorporate customizable shapes to include simpleshapes to complex shapes to provide the user with appealing designs.

In some embodiments, urinal base may have a planar surface or acontoured surface. A urinal base having a planar surface may comprise arectangular shape, parallelogram shape, triangular shape, circularshape, oval shape or the like has the advantages of a simpler, morecompact and more cost-effective design. A urinal base having a contouredsurface may comprise a conical/funnel-type shape, hemispherical shape orthe like and thereby provide the advantages of focusing or guiding theliquids to the outlet such that very little contaminating fluids may beleft behind. The urinal base may also be angled to reduce scattering ofurine/liquids during use. The urinal base, which may be formed of moldedplastic, may comprise a substantially planar thin floor member, anoutlet having at least one hole and the substantially planar thin floormember connected to the foldable urinal sidewalls, the lower lid and theupper lid.

In some embodiments, male and female users of different heightsurinating into the urinal integrated lid system may be comfortablyaccommodated by adjusting the urinal integrated lid to have anadjustable height range. The adjustable height range may be defined fromthe upper lid relative to the toilet seat about the hinge or pluralityof hinges. Preferably, the adjustable height range may be defined fromthe lower lid relative to the toilet seat about the hinge or pluralityof hinges. The users may adjust the height range of the lower lid and/orthe upper lid by adjusting the angle relative to the toilet seat to bebetween 0 degrees to 90 degrees. For short users, the desired angle maybe between 0 degrees and 30 degrees. For average height users, thedesired angle may be between 30 degrees and 60 degrees. For tall users,the desired angle may be between 60 degrees and 90 degrees.

In some embodiments, seated use of the urinal integrated lid system issubstantially identical to that for a standard water closet/toilet seatand lid assembly: the operator should first rotate the urinal integratedlid open, as illustrated in FIG. 3B. To do so, the operator should usetheir fingers to lift upward on the lids, while the seat remains closed.The operator should rotate the lids to their extreme open position, suchthat the lids rest adjacent the water tank of the water closet ortoilet. The operator may then sit on the toilet seat 310 for seated useof urinal integrated lid system, as illustrated in FIG. 3B.

In some embodiments, toilet cleaning access of the urinal integrated lidsystem is provided by raising the toilet seat for cleaning the toiletbowl. With the urinal integrated lid beginning in its fully opened orexpanded state, as depicted in FIG. 3C, the operator may rotate thetoilet seat 310 upward. To do so, the operator should use their fingersto lift upward on the bottom edge of the toilet seat 310 and rotate thetoilet seat 310 upward to a vertical position at which point the toiletseat will rest on the urinal integrated lid next to the water tank.

The specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrativerather than a restrictive sense. However, it will be evident thatvarious modifications and changes may be made thereunto withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the claims. Other variations are within the spirit of thepresent disclosure. Thus, while the disclosed techniques are susceptibleto various modifications and alternative constructions, certainillustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have beendescribed above in detail. It should be understood, however, that thereis no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or formsdisclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover allmodifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appendedclaims.

The use of the terms “a,” “an,” “the,” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the disclosed embodiments (especially in thecontext of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both thesingular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated or clearlycontradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,”and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning“including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term“connected,” where unmodified and referring to physical connections, isto be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, orjoined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation ofranges of values are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method ofreferring individually to each separate value falling within the range,unless otherwise indicated and each separate value is incorporated intothe specification as if it were individually recited. The use of theterm “set” (e.g., “a set of items”) or “subset” unless otherwise notedor contradicted by context, is to be construed as a nonempty collectioncomprising one or more members. Further, unless otherwise noted orcontradicted by context, the term “subset” of a corresponding set doesnot necessarily denote a proper subset of the corresponding set, but thesubset and the corresponding set may be equal.

Conjunctive language, such as phrases of the form “at least one of A, B,and C,” or “at least one of A, B and C,” is understood with the contextas used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may be either Aor B or C, or any nonempty subset of the set of A and B and C, unlessspecifically stated otherwise or otherwise clearly contradicted bycontext. For instance, in the illustrative example of a set having threemembers, the conjunctive phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” and “atleast one of A, B and C” refer to any of the following sets: {A}, {B},{C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {B, C}, {A, B, C}. Thus, such conjunctive languageis not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require atleast one of A, at least one of B and at least one of C each to bepresent. In addition, unless otherwise noted or contradicted by context,the term “plurality” indicates a state of being plural (e.g., “aplurality of items” indicates multiple items). The number of items in aplurality is at least two, but can be more when so indicated eitherexplicitly or by context.

The use of any examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”)provided, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of theinvention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the inventionunless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should beconstrued as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to thepractice of the invention.

Embodiments of this disclosure are described, including the best modeknown to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations ofthose embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in theart upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilledartisans to employ such variations as appropriate and the inventorsintend for embodiments of the present disclosure to be practicedotherwise than as specifically described. Accordingly, the scope of thepresent disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of thesubject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted byapplicable law. Moreover, although above-described elements may bedescribed in the context of certain embodiments of the specification,unless stated otherwise or otherwise clear from context, these elementsare not mutually exclusive to only those embodiments in which they aredescribed; any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the scope of the presentdisclosure unless otherwise indicated or otherwise clearly contradictedby context.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extentas if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to beincorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety.

1. A urinal integrated lid system, comprising: a toilet seat, a lowerlid and an upper lid, wherein one or more hinges couple the toilet seat,the lower lid and the upper lid together; a first coupling mechanismsecures the lower lid to the upper lid, wherein the first couplingmechanism applies a first securing force between the lower lid and theupper lid; and a second coupling mechanism secures the upper lid to atoilet water tank, wherein the second coupling mechanism applies asecond securing force between the upper lid and the toilet water tank,and wherein the second securing force is greater than the first securingforce, wherein, after the second coupling mechanism secures the upperlid to the toilet water tank, a separation force greater than the firstsecuring force but less than the second securing force applied to thelower lid separates the lower lid from the upper lid, and wherein, afterseparation of the lower lid from the upper lid, the lower lid rotatesvia the one or more hinges through an angle range of 0 degrees to 75degrees with respect to the upper lid.
 2. The urinal integrated lidsystem of claim 1, wherein the second securing force is at least 1.5times greater than the first securing force.
 3. The urinal integratedlid system of claim 2, wherein the first coupling mechanism is one ormore first magnets and the second coupling mechanism is one or moresecond magnets.
 4. The urinal integrated lid system of claim 1, whereinthe lower lid and the upper lid exist together in either an open stateor a closed state relative one another.
 5. The urinal integrated lidsystem of claim 4, wherein, when in the the closed state, the lower lidand the upper lid form a fluidically sealed cavity therebetween.
 6. Theurinal integrated lid system of claim 5, wherein the fluidically sealedcavity comprises a plurality of fluid outlet apertures disposed withinone or more peripheral surfaces thereof.
 7. The urinal integrated lidsystem of claim 5, wherein actuation of an actuator disposed on anexterior surface of the lower lid or the upper lid executes release ofone or more cleansing fluids within the fluidically sealed cavity. 8.The urinal integrated lid system of claim 7, wherein a top portion ofthe fluidically sealed cavity releases the one or more cleansing fluidsand a bottom portion of the fluidically sealed cavity drains the one ormore cleansing fluids, and wherein the lower lid comprises a concaveshape that slopes downwards from the top portion to the bottom portion.9. The urinal integrated lid system of claim 4, wherein, when in theopen state, the lower lid and the upper lid are separated by an angle ofbetween 45 degrees and 75 degrees relative one another.
 10. The urinalintegrated lid system of claim 4, wherein a plurality of foldable panelscouple the lower lid to the upper lid, and wherein a fluid drain isdisposed between the plurality of foldable panels.
 11. The urinalintegrated lid system of claim 10, wherein, when the lower lid and theupper lid are in the closed state, the plurality of foldable panelsexist in a folded state where each of the plurality of foldable panelsare stacked upon one another.
 12. The urinal integrated lid system ofclaim 10, wherein, when the lower lid and the upper lid are in the openstate, the plurality of foldable panels exist in an extended state whereeach of the plurality of foldable panels are arranged successively in acommon plane.
 13. A urinal integrated lid system, comprising: a toiletseat, a lower lid and an upper lid, wherein one or more hinges couplethe toilet seat, the lower lid and the upper lid together; a firstcoupling mechanism secures the lower lid to the upper lid and a secondcoupling mechanism secures the upper lid to a toilet water tank,wherein, after separation of the lower lid from the upper lid, the lowerlid rotates via the one or more hinges through an angle range of 0degrees to 75 degrees with respect to the upper lid and an angle rangeof 15 degrees to 90 degrees relative the toilet seat; the lower lid andthe upper lid exist together in either an open state or a closed staterelative one another, wherein, when in the the closed state, the lowerlid and the upper lid form a fluidically sealed cavity therebetween, andwherein, when in the open state, the lower lid and the upper lid areseparated by an angle of between 45 degrees and 75 degrees relative oneanother; and the fluidically sealed cavity comprises a plurality offluid outlet apertures disposed within one or more peripheral surfacesthereof, wherein actuation of an actuator disposed on one or moreexterior surfaces of the lower lid and the upper lid executes release ofone or more cleansing fluids from the plurality of fluid outletapertures.
 14. The urinal integrated lid system of claim 13, wherein atop portion of the fluidically sealed cavity releases the one or morecleansing fluids and a bottom portion of the fluidically sealed cavitydrains the one or more cleansing fluids.
 15. The urinal integrated lidsystem of claim 14, wherein the lower lid comprises a concave up shapeand a surface that slopes downwards from the top portion to the bottomportion, and wherein the upper lid comprises a concave down shape. 16.The urinal integrated lid system of claim 13, wherein a plurality offoldable panels couple the lower lid to the upper lid, wherein, when thelower lid and the upper lid are in the closed state, the plurality offoldable panels exist in a folded state where each of the plurality offoldable panels are stacked upon one another, and wherein, when thelower lid and the upper lid are in the open state, the plurality offoldable panels exist in an extended state where each of the pluralityof foldable panels are arranged successively in a common plane.
 17. Theurinal integrated lid system of claim 16, wherein a fluid drain isdisposed between the plurality of foldable panels.
 18. The urinalintegrated lid system of claim 13, wherein the first coupling mechanismand the second coupling mechanism each comprise one or more of a magnet,a releasable clasp and an actuator.
 19. The urinal integrated lid systemof claim 13, wherein the lower lid and the upper lid exist together ineither a raised state or a lowered state relative the toilet seat, andwherein the fluidically sealed cavity releases the one or more cleansingfluids from the plurality of fluid outlet apertures only when the lowerlid and the upper lid are together in the raised state.
 20. A urinalintegrated lid system, comprising: a toilet seat, a lower lid and anupper lid, wherein one or more hinges couple the toilet seat, the lowerlid and the upper lid together, wherein the lower lid comprises aconcave up shape and a surface that slopes downwards from a top portionto a bottom portion, and wherein the upper lid comprises a concave downshape; a first coupling mechanism secures the lower lid to the upper lidand a second coupling mechanism secures the upper lid to a toilet watertank, wherein, after separation of the lower lid from the upper lid, thelower lid rotates via the one or more hinges through an angle range of 0degrees to 75 degrees with respect to the upper lid and an angle rangeof 15 degrees to 90 degrees relative the toilet seat; the lower lid andthe upper lid exist together in either an open state or a closed staterelative one another, wherein, when in the the closed state, the lowerlid and the upper lid form a fluidically sealed cavity therebetween, andwherein, when in the open state, the lower lid and the upper lid areseparated by an angle of between 45 degrees and 75 degrees relative oneanother; and the fluidically sealed cavity comprises a plurality offluid outlet apertures disposed within one or more peripheral surfacesthereof, wherein actuation of an actuator disposed on an exteriorsurface of the lower lid or the upper lid executes release of one ormore cleansing fluids from the plurality of fluid outlet apertures,wherein the lower lid and the upper lid exist together in either araised state or a lowered state relative the toilet seat, and whereinthe fluidically sealed cavity releases the one or more cleansing fluidsfrom the plurality of fluid outlet apertures only when the lower lid andthe upper lid are together in the raised state.